Premium
Surviving High‐Temperature Calcination: ZrO 2 ‐Induced Hematite Nanotubes for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation
Author(s) -
Li Chengcheng,
Li Ang,
Luo Zhibin,
Zhang Jijie,
Chang Xiaoxia,
Huang Zhiqi,
Wang Tuo,
Gong Jinlong
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201611330
Subject(s) - hematite , photocurrent , calcination , materials science , nanorod , chemical engineering , hydrothermal circulation , water splitting , reversible hydrogen electrode , nanotube , nanotechnology , atomic layer deposition , electrochemistry , electrode , photocatalysis , catalysis , layer (electronics) , optoelectronics , carbon nanotube , metallurgy , chemistry , working electrode , biochemistry , engineering
Nanotubular Fe 2 O 3 is a promising photoanode material, and producing morphologies that withstand high‐temperature calcination (HTC) is urgently needed to enhance the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. This work describes the design and fabrication of Fe 2 O 3 nanotube arrays that survive HTC for the first time. By introducing a ZrO 2 shell on hydrothermal FeOOH nanorods by atomic layer deposition, subsequent high‐temperature solid‐state reaction converts FeOOH‐ZrO 2 nanorods to ZrO 2 ‐induced Fe 2 O 3 nanotubes (Zr‐Fe 2 O 3 NTs). The structural evolution of the hematite nanotubes is systematically explored. As a result of the nanostructuring and shortened charge collection distance, the nanotube photoanode shows a greatly improved PEC water oxidation activity, exhibiting a photocurrent density of 1.5 mA cm −2 at 1.23 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE), which is the highest among hematite nanotube photoanodes without co‐catalysts. Furthermore, a Co‐Pi decorated Zr‐Fe 2 O 3 NT photoanode reveals an enhanced onset potential of 0.65 V (vs. RHE) and a photocurrent of 1.87 mA cm −2 (at 1.23 V vs. RHE).